Facts about 7-Eleven

Here are facts you might not have known about 7-Eleven, which dominates the Long Island landscape.

7-Eleven Day

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7-Eleven has given away Slurpees every July 11 since 2002 to celebrate the day. In 2018, the chain will not only give away around 9 million free small Slurpees, it also will sell hot dogs for $1.

7-Eleven testing delivery

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In December 2017, 7-Eleven announced it was testing 7-ElevenNOW, which would allow customers to get delivery or in-store pickup of items in their stores. The program, which is being tested in some stores in the Dallas area, may expand to other markets in 2018.

Bring Your Own Cup Day

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If using a regular Slurpee cup isn't for you, 7-Eleven has the deal for you on certain days. You can bring a bucket, a pail, or whatever you can fill it with the signature drink. The rules: It must be 10 inches or less in diameter, food-safe clean and watertight.

From ice to Slurpees

7-Eleven got its start in 1927 in Texas when the Southland Ice Company began selling milk, eggs and bread from the dock. It changed to its current name from the Tote'm name in 1946, taking the numbers from its hours of operation, from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.

24 hours

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While 7-Elevens originally were open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., the chain got the idea to stay open 24 hours in 1963 when its Austin, Texas, location was so busy after a University of Texas football game it turned in a profitable evening despite being open all night. It changed to 24 hours on weekends, and the idea caught on around the chain.

Coffee to go

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According to 7-Eleven, Long Island was the first place in the world where you could get fresh-brewed coffee in to-go cups. The concept was introduced by the chain on LI in 1964 and is now a commonplace item around the globe.

Long Island loves coffee

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After being the first spot for to-go coffee, Long Island is still 7-Eleven's top market for the beverage. No one drinks more coffee than Long Islanders.

You live near a 7-Eleven

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According to the company, about 25 percent of Americans live within a mile of a 7-Eleven store.

Lottery ticket sales

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Of all U.S. retailers, 7-Eleven says it sells more USA Today newspapers, single-serve cold beer, single-serve bottled water, cold Gatorade bottles and lottery tickets than any other national chain.

Most of 7-Eleven's top stores are on LI

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Eight of 7-Eleven Inc.'s top 10 locations by sales were in Suffolk County, according to 2013 statistics. Above, 7-Eleven franchisee Lorie DeFelice stands outside her Southampton store on Feb. 6, 2014.

The world's largest convenience store

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As of July 2018, the chain operates 66,000 stores worldwide, and nearly 12,000 in North America, with more outlets than any other retailer or food service provider.

Lots of Slurpees

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According to 7-Eleven, 14 million Slurpees are sold each month, with the top flavors being Coca-Cola and Wild Cherry. Since the Slurpee was introduced in 1966, 7-Eleven says 7.2 billion have been sold -- one for nearly every person on the planet.

Winnipeg, Detroit love Slurpees

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The iconic Slurpee is popular everywhere, but nowhere is it bigger than Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, which is the top market globally for the drink. The top market in the United States is metropolitan Detroit, with locations around the Motor City selling 3.5 times more Slurpee drinks than an average store.

Big Gulps

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7-Eleven introduced the 32-ounce Big Gulp in 1976, then the biggest soft drink on the market. In 1988, the 64-ounce Double Gulp was introduced -- although the size was reduced to 50 ounces so cups could fit in car cup holders more easily. The chain says it sells 45 million gallons of fountain drinks each year, enough to fill 68 Olympic-size pools.

Quick eats

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According to 7-Eleven, 6 million people visit a U.S. store every day, and about a third of those people buy immediately consumable food.

Big Bites

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According to the company, 60 million grilled hot dogs were sold at 7-Elevens in 2014, which trailed only Sonic, Dairy Queen and Costco in hot dog sales. The top spot eating those hot dogs? Maryland, according to the company.

Made on LI

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If you're at a 7-Eleven in New York, New Jersey or Pennsylvania, odds are the fresh foods in the store were made on Long Island. In 2009, 7-Eleven opened a commissary and distribution center in Bohemia that supplies the chain's stores in the region with fresh food.

The ATM network is huge

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7-Eleven says it has the largest ATM network of any retailer in United States.

Kwik-E-Mart

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In 2007, a dozen 7-Eleven stores temporarily became fictional Kwik-E-Marts of "The Simpsons" lore, even selling real-life versions of the show's fictional products of Buzz Cola, KrustyO's cereal and Squishees.

Christmas at 7-Eleven

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While most retailers close on Christmas day, 7-Eleven doesn't. As a result, the chain says December 25 is one of the biggest sales days of the year.

Heavy expansion

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How quickly does the company grow? Well, 7-Eleven says it adds another store to its worldwide operations every 3½ hours.

California is 7-Eleven country

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California has more 7-Eleven stores than any other state. According to 7-Eleven's corporate site, there are 1,200 stores in the Golden State.

Lots of sales

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7-Eleven had $13.96 billion in sales in the United States in 2015, according to the National Retail Federation, and it placed 35th overall among retailers and ahead of other companies such as Subway, Burger King and Wendy's that year.

Tops in Franchise 500

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7-Eleven was named the top franchise of Entrepreneur's Franchise 500 List in 2017, with the ranking based on the franchise's costs and fees, size and growth, support, brand strength and financial strength and ahead of other companies such as McDonald's, Dunkin' Donuts and Dairy Queen. This 7-Eleven is seen on Aug. 12, 2005 in Chicago, Ill.

Breakfast pizza

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In 2017, 7-Eleven introduced breakfast pizza to its lineup, which the chain says has smoked bacon, breakfast sausage, hickory-smoked ham, scrambled eggs, cheddar and mozzarella cheese, and peppered cream gravy on top of a flaky biscuit crust.